Backfire

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Viktor Láznička
1st Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chess Tournament, New Delhi, June 22, 2011
Caro-Kann Defence B19

“[...] second seed Viktor Láznička stop[ped] women’s World Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) in a Caro-Kann game which he should have won much earlier than 65 moves”, Rakesh Rao wrote in his report for The Hundu of June 23, 2011.

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bf4 Qa5+ 12. Bd2 Bb4 13. c3 Be7 14. c4 Qc7 15. 0-0-0 Ngf6 16. Rhe1 0-0 17. Nf5 Bd6 18. Nxd6 Qxd6

19. Qe2. 19. g4 b5 20. g5 bxc4 21. Qc2 hxg5 22. Nxg5 c3 23. Bxc3 Qf4+ 24. Bd2 Qf5∞ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 周唯奇 (Zhōu Wéiqí), 3rd 海南 (Hǎinán) 儋州 (Dānzhōu) Grandmaster Chess Tournament, 儋州 (Dānzhōu) 2012.
19. ... b5 20. g4 bxc4. 20. ... Nxg4? 21. Ne5! Nxe5 22. dxe5 Qe7 23. Bxh6! gxh6 24. Rg1+ Kh8 (24. ... Kh7 25. Qd3+) 25. Qd2.
21. g5 hxg5 22. Rg1 (22. h6!? gxh6 23. Rh1 c3∞)
22. ... c3 23. Bxc3 Nd5

24. Bd2?! 24. Rxg5 Nxc3 25. bxc3 Rab8 looks quite unpleasant for White, but at the same time, it might have offered little better chances of counterbalancing.
24. ... f6 25. h6. Maybe 25. Rde1 could be worth a thought. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s aggressive approach will soon backfire on her.
25. ... gxh6 26. Rde1 Rf7 27. Rh1 Rh7 28. Rh2 Kg7 29. Rg1 Rah8 30. Qe4 Nf8 31. Re1 Ng6 32. Qxe6 Qxe6 33. Rxe6 Rc8 34. Rh1 Kf7 35. Re2 Re8 36. Kd1 Rxe2 37. Kxe2 g4 38. Nh2 f5 39. Rc1 Nge7 40. Rc5 Ke6 41. b4 h5 42. Ra5 Nc8 43. Rc5 Kd6 44. b5 Nce7 45. bxc6 Nxc6 46. Kd3 Re7 47. Kc4 Nb6+ 48. Kd3 Nd5 49. Kc4 Nb6+ 50. Kd3 Rf7 51. Bf4+ Kd7 52. d5 Nb4+ 53. Kd4 N4xd5 54. Rxd5+ Nxd5 55. Kxd5 Re7 56. Be5 Re6 57. a3 Ra6 58. Bb2 Ra5+ 59. Kd4 Ke6 60. Nf1 Rb5 61. Bc3 Rb1 62. Nd2

62. ... h4! 63. Ba5. The Rook is obviously taboo because of 63. ... h3.
63. ... Rc1 64. Nc4 h3 65. Bc7 Rc2 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s aggressive approach has backfired on her.